Tailored Lifestyle Intervention in Obese Adults Within Primary Care Practice

The study will translate and evaluate previously successful weight loss and physical activity studies into a primary care setting in terms of efficacy and cost effectiveness. Patients are recruited by their primary care physicians office and screened for participation and contraindications by phone. A screening visit with a run-in period of food and exercise log adherence is performed. All participants have meetings with a Lifestyle Counselor to set nutritional and lifestyle goals and an introduction to weight loss techniques at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. A structured eating plan will be given at the baseline visit. Participants at the baseline visit are randomized to either the intervention and control groups. During the first year, intervention participants will receive monthly motivational phone calls from their lifestyle counselor to assess their progress and help navigate the lifestyle changes. Food and exercise logs are reviewed frequently and written feedback give to each interventional participant. Intervention participants also receive weekly mailings focusing on weight loss, physical activity and healthy eating, and four tailored mailings based upon information gained through contact with the lifestyle counselor. Intervention participants will also receive 2 informative DVDs during the first year. Control participants receive 2 NIDDK informational handouts on weight loss. For the second year of the study focuses on maintenance. Intervention participants receive reduced mailings of 2 per month for 6 months and then once a month until the end of one year. Intervention participants receive one additional motivational phone call at 13 months if they have not reached their weight loss goal and also receive 2 more informative DVDs. The control participants will receive 3 informational NIDDK mailings. The two arms of the study will be compared using the critical outcome measures (weight loss, PA, fat calories & vegetable/fruit servings consumed) and secondary outcome measures (waist and hip circumference,BP,Heart rate) for weight loss efficacy. We will also evaluate the cost-effectiveness for dissemination as a PCP weight loss program in addition to the overall cost-effectiveness for the participant in terms of money spent and adverse events related to the lifestyle change.